Changing View Points
by Kizmet
Summary: A series of first person snippets. Ryoga finds himself forced to reevaluate his relationship with Ranma under the worst possible circumstances... How will Nerima take it?. Shounen ai
1. Perception

**Perception**

Disclaimer: Characters and setting are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

Author's Notes: This is an old story that's been sitting on my hard-drive for awhile. I'm editting it and posting it in hopes of getting back into the mood to write Ramna. Basically I'm posting this to try to motivate myself into writing more for "Friends: Old and New".

Each chapter is told from the POV of a different character in the show.

* * *

"Saotome Ranma, prepare to die!"

My life is built around that phrase. It's my battle cry, my reason for getting up in the morning. It's why I train, why I travel. That phrase, that goal, has kept me going through unimaginable horrors and all consuming despair.

I have escaped from all type of man and beast determined to eat me, kept on going despite the blackest of depressions, simply for a chance to fight him again. All I do is in the hopes of someday standing triumphant over my rival… Of killing him?

"Saotome Ranma, prepare to die!"

That's what I always say isn't it? If you say something a thousand times does it still have the same meaning? Or, at some point, does it change into a meaningless collection of sounds said by simple habit?

Other people see each other in the street and say: "Hello, how have you been?" I see him and yell: "Saotome Ranma, prepare to die." Is my meaning any different than theirs after all this time?

This time he was on a short training journey in the mountains. As usual I was looking for Nerima, the Tendo Dojo, Akane, Furikan High… him. I found him.

Of course the first thing out of my mouth was "Saotome Ranma, prepare to die!"

And then we fought. Ranma smiles a lot while he fights. He loves showing off and no one can deny his talent for martial arts or the skill a lifetime of nothing but training has given him. Is that why he grins when he sees me? Because I always give him the chance to really show how good he is? Mousse and Kuno never force him to new heights. They're generally unconscious before he can get to the fancy stuff.

The fight is the only reason his face lights up when he hears my challenge. Isn't it?

I didn't have any new moves this time. No special technique he hadn't learned to counter yet. No magical advantage to let me beat him. Just my strength and endurance set against his speed and agility. I'm not slow; he's not weak, not when you compare us to anyone but each other.

He's the only one worth fighting over and over again. For him I travel the world mastering new techniques. Then I come home and for a few glorious moments I dare to believe that I've become better than he is. And then he beats that hope down as he adapts to my new skill and exceeds it. And so I keep trying. I keep learning new and better and more powerful techniques, all in the hopes of someday killing him, that's what I say isn't it?

This time the fight was like a summary of our relationship. We started with the basics and escalated from there. We didn't get far.

"Bakusai Tenketsu!"

The ground exploded into a hail of shrapnel from my touch. My training has made me impervious to this sort of blast. I just stood there as if the hail of rock were a gentle snowfall.

"Kachü Tenshin Amaguriken!"

Ranma had his own way of avoiding injury. His hands moved too fast to be seen as anything but a blur as he plucked the shards of stone from the air.

One chip got past his defenses. Just one. Just a little one. It shouldn't have mattered.

When I discover a new edge I pound him mercilessly into the ground. When he discovers how to overcome it he returns the favor. That is how we fight. We've done it a hundred times before. We've each taken the worst the other can dish out and have always come back for another round.

It was just one hit, it shouldn't have been anything at all. One sharp edged fletchlet, like a primitive arrowhead, that he didn't catch. It sliced through his femoral artery.

Ranma's blood has turned the ground where we fought red. It soaked through the bandages I applied. Direct pressure wasn't enough to stop the bleeding. The wound is too close to his body for an effective tourniquet, besides I saw the look in his eyes when I suggested trying one. Ranma would rather die than risk losing a leg. If I could get him to a hospital it would be okay but we're miles from anywhere and I don't even know which direction I should head toward. I'm probably carrying him further from the help he needs with every step I take.

His eyes flutter then fix determinedly on mine. Ranma's eyes are like the ocean, you can drown in them. "Ryouga, stop."

"I have to get you…"

"We're over a day's walk from town. Even if you didn't get lost in your own backyard you couldn't do anything." I should get mad over the crack about my sense of direction but he's telling me it's not my fault.

He smiles a little. Ranma's grins are infectious. Love him or hate him, no one is indifferent to Saotome Ranma. When he smiles it cuts though every defense and lays your heart open.

"I was just a stupid accident. You didn't mean for this to happen, I know that, we've always been friends." He sighs and his body goes limp in my arms.

"Saotome Ranma, prepare to die."

"You didn't mean it, we've always been friends."

One of us is lying to themselves. I wonder which one of us it is. I wonder which answer would be easier to live with if I don't find a damn hospital.


	2. Sensation

**Sensation**

Disclaimer: Characters and setting are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

* * *

Been swimming in endless blackness, forever it seems like. Lost in nothing. Then slowly the nothing starts to break.

The first thing I'm aware of is the smell: chemical, fake. It tries to cover the other smell. I don't recognize the other smell, but I don't like it at all. The clean, familiar smell of campfire smoke and forests is almost lost, buried beneath the other smells, but it's source is close and that reassures me.

I've lived outdoors or in rough shelters for most of my life. Even after seven months at the Tendos' I'm still living out of my pack and the smoke and forest smells still cling to it. That pack, those smells, they mean home to me.

The chemical smells bug me. Kodachi smells like chemicals. All the roses and crap cover it, but it's still there. The smell of her potions and poisons, it's always there; a reminder that she's dangerous under the crazy.

The school smells like chemicals too: harsh, ammonia. I've gone to dozens of schools over the years. Sometimes for just a day or two, sometimes for a few weeks, even a couple of months but never much longer than that, never more than a term. I hate school. I'm always coming into the middle, trying to play catch up. No one ever bothers to explain anything from the beginning to me or even give me a hint. No one but Akane is surprised when she tries to start cooking with some big recipe and it turns out toxic but they think I'm the stupid one when I have trouble doing school like that.

Before the curse I'd do my best to fit in even when I didn't. I'd find a way to get a uniform even if it was only for a week. Now I don't see the point. The way water seeks me out there's no hiding that I'm a freak. Not that I ever could hide it. They always knew I didn't belong.

The smell the chemicals cover is worse than the chemicals. A lot of the scratches from the Nekoken training got infected; it smells like that, only a whole bunch stronger.

The first time I came back after the Nekoken training I was sicker than I've ever been before or since. Burning up from the inside out, too weak to move and all confused. Pop was gone and some old lady who called me by the wrong name was looking after me. She thought I was her grandson and sometimes I thought she was right. Other times I'd be back in the pit. Everything was real disjointed.

From what Pop says I was slipping in and out of the Nekoken all the time too, that's why he left me for so long. I figure the old lady found c-cat-me after I'd gotten so sick that I couldn't attack her. She didn't hurt me. Instead she took care of me. So I must have started trusting her even when I was in the Nekoken state, started acting like her pet. When I got better and stopped having blackouts Pop came and took me away from her.

She was the last person I remember holding me or touching me without wanting to hurt me or wanting something from me.

The guys at school always wanna know how far I've gone with my fiancées. I gotta wonder if they're all blind. Akane and Ucchan don't like touchy stuff. Shampoo and Kuno don't give a damn about what I like. Least when Kuno grabs me everyone's too busy laughing to hit me and he don't turn into a c-cat. The both of them are only a little bit better than Happosai. Only everyone, even Akane, thinks I'm supposed to like it when Shampoo grabs me.

Pop used to hold me, when I was little. He'd wrap his arm around me when it was cold and carry me when I got too tired to walk. He stopped doing that after the Nekoken training. I tore him up pretty bad when I went crazy. After that he kept me far enough away so that he'd have the chance to defend himself if I went nuts again.

Sometimes Akane or Ucchan will touch me without being mad. Sometimes Ryoga'll really spar with me, without either of us being out for blood. Sometimes I'll just end up sitting with one of the three of them, not touching but close enough to feel their body heat and their aura brushing against my skin. Those times are rarer than Akane's smiles but they're worth waiting for.

I ain't really into that into touching or being touched myself but when it's one of those three doing it I don't mind; wouldn't mind if they did it more. I tru… well I know it ain't a trap when they do stuff like holding my hand or touching my arm. None of us are comfortable enough with touching to do it less it's real.

When I saw how the cut was bleeding, where it was I knew nothing would help. I sort of thought Ryoga would run off or something, leave me behind, but he just kept carrying me. It was nice, falling asleep in someone's arms, feeling protected… I just didn't expect to wake up again.

The one thing I gotta give Pop is that when it comes to teaching the Art he's thorough. I know a lot about what'll kill, I just choose not to use those sorts of strikes. From the location of the wound I knew I was gonna bleed out pretty quick and there was nothing Ryoga or I could do to stop it. Can't figure why I'm waking up but I think that's what's happening.

I can feel something velvety brushing against my arm. There's something warm over my hand. Don't have a clue as to what I'm feeling. Feels nicer than the other arm; that one has something poking into it. I don't know what that is either. Guess I'm gonna have to open my eyes to figure it out. Seems like an awful lot of work.

White ceiling, white walls, red ribbon… No blood, running into my arm. Black and yellow? Never knew Ryoga's hair was so soft. What's he doing anyway?

K'so, I'm in girl-form. Turning into a girl is bad enough by itself, why do I gotta be such a tiny girl on top of that? Everyone's bigger than I am, my hand totally vanishes under Ryoga's.

"Zzzzzz…."

Heh, Ryoga's asleep. Gee, he actually got me to a hospital and he still stayed. I know we're friends and all but it's not like I expect that to get in the way of him leaving me to die so he could have Akane. I mean look at Pop. He's my pop and he does care about me but cause of that Seppuku pledge he signed me being the best martial artist is more important to him than me having friends, or being sane or even being alive. "A Martial Artist ought be willing to give up his life for the Art." I know he don't apply that rule to himself. Pop's a good liar; I figure if I'd died training he could come up with some story that'd satisfy Mom. It's my job, not his, to make sure I don't get hurt when he goes after something he wants.

I try not to hold grudges. 'Course the whole turning into a girl thing is a bit much for my no grudges' policy, specially now that I know about Mom. Dying in a fight with Ryoga is a lot easier to forgive than everything Pop's done to make me miserable over the years.

I was totally sure I was done for. That meant no rematches, no humiliating hanging around being a loser, no reason to try to make him feel bad about winning. It's not like I gained anything from him being guilty. Sides I thought if I said something bout us being friends maybe he'd acknowledged it, just once. He did so much more than I expected though. All I was hoping for was for him to say that he liked me, even if it weren't as much as he liked Akane. Instead he figured out how to do the impossible and kept me alive. I guess me being around was more important to him than I thought. Imagine that, I'm not even a prize for a contest he's trying to win or nothing and he's still acting like I'm worth something to him.

I don't understand. Why would he care that much? Why would he bother to stay?

A beeping in the background noise starts speeding up and Ryoga groans softly. His clothes rustle as he stirs and his hand tightens on mine.

"Ranma, you're awake." I've never seen him smile like that before.

He leans forward and… His lips taste like salt. He was crying for me? His mouth is soft, it ain't demanding, not anything at all like Mikado. He's a much better kisser…

Gah!!! I'm kissing a boy! Again!!!


	3. Intuition

**Intuition**

Disclaimer:Characters and setting are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

* * *

"P-Chan! P-Chan, why won't you come to me?"

Oh my, this is a different sort of morning. And it all started off so normally too.

I woke to the usual alarm: A splash from the koi pond followed by Ranma-chan's high-pitched protest: "What'd ya do that for Old Man?!"

I started breakfast while the Saotomes continued with their morning spar. I was just starting the rice when Ryoga-kun leapt the garden wall and entered the fray. "Ranma, you idiot!" is not his typical battle cry; that is more normally my little sister's refrain. Not only that, Ryoga attacked Uncle Genma, not Ranma-chan.

Uncle Genma is a remarkable martial artist but he simply hasn't developed the tactics Ranma uses to counter Ryoga's prodigious strength. It was a rather one sided battle with Uncle Genma taking all the damage and a rather battered Panda-san emerging from the koi pond while Ryoga-kun firmly sat Ranma-chan on the porch and began lecturing her about sneaking out of a hospital and fighting while she still had stitches.

That was the first we'd heard of Ranma's injuries. I hope it's nothing too serious. Hospitals are so impersonal, not to mention ill-equipped to cope with martial artist of Ranma's caliber. I'll have to see that he goes to Dr. Tofu for a check-up.

It was rather surprising to see Ryoga-kun fussing over Ranma-chan but they say love and hate are simply opposite sides of the same coin. I must say that the look of serious concern Ryoga-kun displayed was very becoming on him. It suited him much better than the anger or depression I frequently see in his expression.

Ryoga-kun got lost while little sister Akane was striving to keep herself from hitting Ranma-chan for not letting us know she'd been injured. Luckily P-Chan arrived before Akane lost the battle between her temper and Ranma's ill-considered comments.

And still the morning persisted in becoming stranger. P-Chan refused to go to Akane like he normal does. It was almost as if he were trying not to antagonize Ranma. That was as big of an about face as the one Ryoga-kun had pulled. Odd how they both realized that Ranma is actually a very sweet person at the same time. I wonder what it took to get Ryoga-kun to stop taking Ranma's friendship for granted.

I didn't let the morning's antics, even the unusual ones, unduly distract me from my chores. "Breakfast is ready!" I wonder what else will happen today.

Akane makes one last grab for P-Chan then glances from Uncle Genma and Ranma to the platter of food approaching the table with me before she gave up her chase. It truly doesn't do to be late to the table with healthy appetites like theirs around. If only they could learn to eat neatly as well as quickly.

"Bwi! Bwi! Bwiii!"

Dear me, P-Chan seems very upset about something. I'd better see what it is. Blood? On the floor where Ranma-chan was sitting?

"Ranma, are you bleeding?"

Ranma-chan presses one hand to her thigh. She seems surprised when it comes away red with blood. The dark color of her pants masked it from us. "Damn stitches," she mutters.

"Let me see to it," I insist.

Ranma-chan flushes, her face turning nearly as red as her hair. "Oh… um… I can… Kasumi…"

"Yes, the injury does seem rather high up on your leg. We'd best go to the bathroom or father will be horribly embarrassed."

"Kasumi!" It really is remarkable how Ranma and Akane do that in stereo.

"We're both girls at the moment and Ranma has no feminine modesty so it won't bother her to have me tend her injuries." Not to mention I'll need to see the wound if I'm to determine how long it will be before it will be safe to allow all of Ranma's friends to resume their little games.

It really is fortunate that Uncle Genma raised Ranma. He certainly did an excellent job of teaching him martial arts and generally preparing him for the sorts of games Ranma's friends enjoy. Also, if anyone else had raised Ranma… Well I hate to think ill of anyone, but if not for Uncle Genma's influence Ranma might actually see something wrong about being used as currency, continually being made a scapegoat for the most ridiculous things and generally being insulted and abused at every turn. Why, if not for Uncle Genma Ranma might get angry about the way he's treated and hurt someone.

As it is… Why would Ranma be bothered when the girls who claim to love him treat him as a prize to be won; it's better than being sold for the price of a meal after all. Why would Ranma mind a constant stream of attacks from those he thinks of as friends when his father has turned every aspect of his life, even eating a simple meal, into a sparring exercise. Why would Ranma see something strange about being held accountable for innocent mistakes or that which he has no control over when his father blamed his six-year-old son for the theft of a girl's dowry, when he claims to be ashamed of Ranma because of a fear of cats that Uncle Genma's ill-considered training methods created?

Unfortunately Uncle Genma's constant slights have not immunized Ranma to Akane's insults. Both Akane and Ranma possess an uncanny knack for picking out truths the other would prefer to be blind to and fears they can't face rationally.

My littlest sister is a tomboy. What else would you call a girl who takes pride in her ability to beat up gangs of boys and who spends more time in the Dojo than in the kitchen? As for Ranma, he has never learned manners or consideration for others' feelings. It does make him something of a jerk at times.

I tried to correct Akane's tomboyishness but I fear telling her that Dr. Tofu wouldn't like her if she didn't act more like a proper young lady only made her more sensitive to Ranma's charge of uncute- ness'. Akane has always been an adorable girl and I ought to have told her so, but while I have managed to fill mother's place in the kitchen I fear I haven't been much of a parent to my sisters. I simply cannot cope with Akane's temper or Nabiki's frozen heart. I'm not having much luck correcting Ranma's rather atrocious manners either.

As for Akane's accusations: Ranma is one of the most innocent people I have ever met, especially when it comes to manners pertaining to sex, and yet Akane's charge of perversion cuts him. Because of his curse he fears there is something wrong with him; that his curse somehow makes him perverse. The truth doesn't matter to Ranma when Akane speaks to his fears.

They're both so young and so uncertain. Forced into a corner they both lash out with unerring skill at the one who should be their closest ally. Whether or not they get married they're in it together until they and their fathers reach a decision.

Ranma-chan is still stammering protests as I lead her into the bathroom. "You'll have to take off your pants." I point out. It really is very entertaining how easily embarrassed Ranma can be when he's thinking about a situation. In a fight with Happosai he'd be all over a hot-springs, changing forms and sides with hardly a thought and nary a trace of shame… at least until he ends up getting pummeled for being male on the women's side. But now a simple request to remove clothing for medical purposes and poor Ranma-chan is on the verge of fainting from shear embarrassment.

Reluctantly Ranma does as she's told. She peels her pants away and pulls up the leg of her boxer shorts to show the blood soaked bandages wrapped around her leg.

As I snip them off and examine the strained stitches holding the edges of her wound. "You really should go see Dr. Tofu before school this morning."

"Yeah. All this jumping around wasn't a great idea I guess."

I'll have to call Cologne, Ukyo and Sasuke and let them know the games are off for the moment. I do hope poor Sasuke can keep his wards under control for a while. Those children run him ragged. At least their father is out of the country again. Seeing how Ryoga-kun behaved this morning I may ask him to try to stick around and deal with the random challengers until Ranma is feeling better.

"Bwi? Bwi?"

"Oh P-Chan, were you worried about Ranma?" I ask as I finish tending to Ranma's wound. "There was some bleeding around the stitches but nothing a tight bandage won't stem."

Without a thought I pick up the little pig and show him.

"Kasumi!"

"Bwiii!!!"

Ranma scrambles to cover-up while P-Chan gets a nosebleed and faints. An odd thought occurs to me. For some reason I lean over the bathtub and splash warm water onto P-Chan.

Suddenly Ranma's face blanches and Ryoga-kun is lying on the floor, unconscious, with a bloody nose… and wearing absolutely nothing.

"Oh…. My…"


	4. Observation

**Observation**

Disclaimer:Characters and setting are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

* * *

Ah, home from school. Time to check my surveillance tapes. I think I'll start with the dojo.

Ranma came back from his little training trip looking pale and pretty beat-up. Ryoga showed up the next morning just in time to catch the opening act of Ranma and Uncle Saotome's morning spar. Then the lost boy stepped in and really let **Genma** have it. Ryoga still wasn't quick enough to stop Ranma's stitches from getting torn. That was one nasty cut. Seems our little Ranma skipped out of the hospital early and Ryoga was so worried he managed to show up at the dojo only ten hours after Ranma.

And that was just the start of things getting interesting around here.

After Kasumi hauled Ranma off to the bathroom to check his stitches we heard some shouting from Ranma and P-Chan; that's all to be expected. But the loud, startled "Oh my!" from Kasumi was enough to bring us all running.

It was quite the picture. I don't know what I was expecting, maybe Kasumi knocked into the furo by Ranma and the pig's antics. What we did find was both Kasumi and Ryoga in a faint. Kasumi was cradled in Ranma's arms. Ryoga was in his birthday suit. Ranma was helplessly stammering something about his innocence.

Ranma really is wonderfully photogenic, in either form, especially when he's bashful. Kuno-baby would pay a bundle for a candid shot of a half-dressed Ranma-chan blushing and all uncertain.

Ryoga isn't bad either. I just don't have the same sort of market for shots of him. Too bad, if I had the right customers this shot could be worth a lot. I went ahead and took the shot. Who knows, maybe I could arrange a meeting between Ryoga and Kodachi. Kuno-baby has room in his heart for two, why wouldn't Kodachi be the same?

"So this is where Ryoga disappeared to, I wonder how he lost his clothes." Akane remarked. She made a point of carefully not looking at Ryoga while she draped a towel over him.

Denial and unrequited love are in a constant race for supremacy around here. Both emotions have reached epidemic proportions in Nerima since Ranma arrived. Lucky for me, one of them is a very profitable feeling. Denial, unfortunately, is fairly self-sustaining.

Since Ranma came home something new has been going on and I want to know what it is so I can work it into my calculations.

Hmm, nothing in the dojo. Let's move on to the roof. I hope they didn't talk under the bridge, the batteries in the equipment I set up out there keep going dead.

Here we go…

"Cut it out Ryoga, we're friends, f-i-e-n-d-s, friends not…" I think you had it right the second time, Ranma. "Look, you only kissed me 'cause I was in girl-form. You didn't mean it so pretend like it didn't happen."

And I don't even have Ryoga listed as a possibility in the Ranma-stakes. I put Kuno-baby in for laughs and suckers… I'd really clean up if Ranma ended up choosing someone no one bet on, but he's not going to go for a guy. Ranma had nightmares about Kuno's declaration of love. Kuno's a freak but he's not **that** bad.

People might bet on Ryoga. There are times when Ukyo is the favorite and Ranma sees her as 'just a friend'. Ranma does break-up Akane's dates with Ryoga by pretending to be **Ryoga's** fiancée, not by trying to make romantic with Akane… Could he really **like** the lost boy? Sure Ranma reacted badly to Sanzenin and Kuno's attentions at first, but he's gone on more dates with Kuno than with Shampoo, maybe he's getting used to being a girl part-time.

Calculating the odds on this one is going to be a nightmare.

"Kissing you, it wasn't like that." You're mumbling Pig-boy, that's not exactly a confidence inspiring declaration there.

"Then what was it like?"

"I don't know okay? Ranma, you've got no idea what it was like after you passed out. You told me I couldn't do anything except watch you die but did you think I'd just sit there and let it happen?"

What the hell? I guess that means Ryoga was just making noise every time he threatened to kill Ranma because he sounds damn serious now.

"How'd you get me to the hospital anyway?" Ranma sounds like he's trying to change the subject.

"It was about time that my curse came in handy. You take advantage of turning into a girl all the time."

"I do not. And what does your turning into P-Chan have to do with anything?"

"Not that curse stupid. I may not get where I intend to go but I travel fast. I just picked you up and ran. I almost didn't make it. Ranma you came so close to dying. You just kept getting paler and stiller. I started counting how many steps I took for every breath you took. When I got to ten and you still hadn't drawn a breath I could have flattened the mountain with one of my Shi Shi Hokodan blasts. Then your chest moved and I'd never been happier. You make me insane Ranma. I went to China because you made an off-hand remark about your dad looking for training grounds in China before you disappeared."

"Hey!" And a light goes on for Saotome. "I remember that. I told you to be on time because that was gonna be your last chance to beat me. I told you I never stayed anywhere long and Pop was showing signs of being ready to move on. Why the hell were you so mad at me? You knew I was leaving."

"Maybe I couldn't let you go like that. Everyone else would get tired of me when I couldn't find where I was supposed to be. You were an ass about it but when I eventually did show up you were always waiting for me. Except that last time."

"I told you I couldn't wait. It was your own fault."

"And I couldn't let you walk away… anymore than I could let you die on me this time. I triggered your curse because your girl-form is smaller. I thought it might not need as much blood. That bought me almost enough time to get you to hospital but Ranma you were dead when I ran through the doors. You weren't breathing; your heart wasn't beating. The doctors brought you back, but they said it might have been too long. I waited for days. I thought I'd killed you, then you opened your eyes and I was so happy I could have kissed you."

"You did, but you wouldn't have done it if I'd been in my **real** form."

It's not too hard to picture the scene. Under normal circumstances Hibiki is emotionally over-wrought. He's alone with a cute girl whose life he just happened to have saved. Sleeping beauty opens her eyes… Of course he kissed her, even if she is technically a he.

"You think anyone wants another Kuno? Chasing after Akane and my girl-half like an idiot?"

"Don't insult me, Ranma."

"I don't want another Ucchan either! What's so awful about being friends? Why do ya gotta want something I can't be?"

So this one is serious. I have standing arrangements with both Cologne and Ukyo where I keep them abreast of any new developments in the fiancée situation. They'll both pay good money to learn about the new contestant.

However, if I wait I'll have more time to figure out how best to profit from this development.

Ranma should be back to his normal, disgustingly healthy, self by the end of the week. I'll tell them then. If they don't take it well, he'll be in better shape to deal with it.


	5. Conviction

**Conviction**

**Disclaimer:**Characters and setting are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

* * *

I hope, hope so badly it hurts, that Ranma and my husband will be at the Tendo's today. It's been so long. I keep hoping… Why do they keep leaving on these trips? Would it be so hard to just drop by before they took off again?

Smile, chin up. The Tendo Dojo is just around the corner. Ranma will be there today. Think positive.

"Hello?"

"Oh Auntie Saotome! It's so good to see you!" I smile a tad weakly at Kasumi. The eldest Tendo girl has truly impeccable manners, but why must she always greet me so loudly? I'm not hard of hearing... yet anyway.

"Hello Kasumi-dear. Is my son…"

From the discomfort on her face I know I'm going to be disappointed once again.

"I see. Is Ranko home then?" I despise myself for treating Ranko like some sort of consolation prize. She's such an adorable child and I truly care for her, but she isn't my son.

She obviously needs a mother though and it helps to ease the gaping emptiness in my life to fill that role in hers. Ranko is the most unrepentant tomboy I have ever met and her manners are truly atrocious. Yet underneath her rough, unladylike behavior she is a very sweet person: caring, eager to please and so very desperate to be loved. I worry about her, she always seems so unhappy when I'm visiting even though she hides it under a maniac cheerfulness.

A loud splash draws me out into the garden. I don't know what it is about that pool but Ranko and her pet, Panda-san, are always playing there.

"Ran…"

"Ryoga, shut up!" Ranko's fierce command is followed by a loud explosion of air: an elbow to the gut unless I miss my guess. Dear me, I hope Ranko didn't just hit some poor boy. It really isn't appropriate for a young woman to be beating up upon men since they can't respond without losing honor.

"The doctor said not to get your stitches wet." I arrive just in time to see a handsome, study young man lifting Ranko out of the koi pond. He's certainly very strong, he holds her like she weighs no more than a kitten. Despite the blow which I'm certain Ranko delivered his expression shows only concern. If Kasumi hadn't told me Ranma was gone again I might have hoped… He is manly. Perhaps having a boyfriend would be a good influence on Ranko.

When Ranko sees me she slips free of her friend's hold. "Auntie Nodoka!" She runs toward me then hesitates. We've done this several dozen times now, but she still waits for my nod. I wonder why she's so uncertain. As soon as I've given her permission I'm wrapped in an enthusiastic hug.

I can feel myself smiling warmly as I return her greeting. It surprises me how much I've come to love this girl in such a short time. When she pulls back a moment later. I ruffle her soft hair. I wish she'd let me fix it in a more flattering style. She'd be stunning, I know because my hair was just like hers when I was younger.

"Ranko-chan, you haven't introduced your friend," I remind her gently.

She glances back at the boy as if surprised to see him. "Oh yeah, Auntie Nodoka this is Hibiki Ryoga. Ryoga this is Ranma's mom, Saotome Nodoka."

The boy has a puzzled frown on his face as he glances between Ranko and myself. I wonder if he expected me to be her mother. It would hardly be the first time. There's an amazing resemblance between the two of us although it comes from coincidence not relationship. Still he recovers quickly and gives me a slight bow. "Saotome-san, it's an honor to meet you."

Such a polite boy and I can see from his face that he must spend a great deal of time outdoors, so he's rugged too. I hope my Ranma is as manly.

"You're staying for dinner right?" Ranko insists.

"Oh I don't want to put a burden on Kasumi."

Kasumi smiles. "Auntie Saotome, you're practically family. It's no burden."

"If I'm family then I insist on helping," I reply firmly. "It's been a while since Ranko and Akane's last cooking lesson."

This time there's gratitude in Kasumi's smile. Akane is a difficult student. She really should have started learning when she was much younger, before her pride became an obstacle to be overcome.

I wish Soun had contacted me when Kimiko passed on. It wasn't fair to any of his girls, especially Kasumi, to leave a child like her to fill her mother's place. And it happened just a year or two after my husband took Ranma away. I wasn't used to being lonely then.

The phrase 'cooking lessons' summons Akane as if by magic. She's been so grateful that I kept on teaching her even after that first, rather disastrous lesson.

"Ranko, have you asked your friend to stay for dinner yet?" I suggest.

"Oh, Ryoga always eats here if he don't get lost before the food's served," Ranko replies carelessly.

"Still, I'm certain he'd appreciate a formal invitation. Akane and I will get started in the kitchen while you ask him… Rolling your eyes is not ladylike."

In the kitchen I get Akane started collecting her ingredients. Experience has shown that we can avoid much heart-ache and heartburn by the simple expedient of double checking to make sure she isn't accidentally substituting baking soda for corn starch or vinegar for vegetable oil.

"Akane-chan, are you sure you want vanilla extract, not soy sauce?" I sigh. Sometimes I think Akane is afraid that if she learns to cook she'll have to give up everything else in her life like Kasumi did. Subconscious self-sabotage is the only explanation I can find for her inability to read labels.

Ranko bounces into the kitchen a few moments later. "Kasumi said she'd keep Ryoga from wandering off. So what're we doing?"

"Akane will be making yakisoba. Ranko, I know you two are a little competitive and I know you've done some sort of range-top cooking before now. So I want you to work on baking today. It's really not fair of you to try to compete with Akane when it's obvious you've had more experience."

Ranko literally wilts at my words. I've never met anyone so sensitive to direct reproof and yet so oblivious to all other indications of disapproval. It makes her very difficult to correct. I hate to hurt her feelings, but it's either that or allow the behavior to continue. Akane, on the other hand, is simply too sensitive and too stubborn to change once she's been hurt. Only the gentlest of criticism is effective with her.

"Ranko-dear, there's a recipe for cake on the counter. Akane, you can start mixing your sauce. Please remember, all your ingredients are on the counter and there's no advantage in rushing… that applies to you too Ranko."

Things seem off to a good start so I step out of the kitchen for a moment.

"Kasumi, what's with 'Ranko' and what's with that bundle Saotome-san carries around all the time?" I recognize Hibiki-san's voice. I really shouldn't eves drop.

"Oh, Ranma and his father signed a pledge to commit seppuku if Ranma failed to grow up to be a 'man among men'. Auntie Saotome carries her katana with her in case she disapproves of her son and calls upon them to fulfill the contract. She will act as their second."

"She'd behead her own son?!" he sounds so shocked. From how he holds himself I assumed Ryoga was a martial artist himself. I thought he would understand a matter of honor. Perhaps he is not an appropriate match for Ranko after all.

"Auntie Saotome considers it a matter of honor," Kasumi's gentle voice is non-committal.

"When we were in Jr. High together Ranma met my mom once. He acted so curious about her… Ranma didn't remember his mom before he and his dad left for China. There is no way Ranma could have been old enough to understand an agreement like that when he made it."

"Honor doesn't recognize such details, or so I've learned." Does Kasumi disapprove of me? "Ranma was six when his father engaged him to Ukyo, he thought she was a boy at the time. Do you think he understood that promise? And yet he is honor-bound to uphold it. Our fathers promised that their children would join the schools. We weren't even born at the time, but it is our obligation. Uncle Genma seems to have forgotten that Ranma can only marry one girl; that is also a problem for Ranma's honor. My father has more than one child to promise in marriage but when a second fiancée arrived, one whom none of us wished to marry, that became yet another matter for Ranma to resolve honorably. Ranma allowed three days for your difficulty with directions and yet you hold it as a stain on his honor that he didn't give you a fourth day. Honor has nothing to do with what is fair to ask of a person."

For a long moment they're silent. I've never heard so much about my son before today. I don't know what to think.

"I was wrong," Ryoga's voice is quiet. "I was late. I chose to follow Ranma to China, what happened afterwards was my fault. I'm the one who decided to hunt him across a country after he left me behind."

"It's nice that you've realized that. But that only solves one of Ranma's dilemmas. And I've also learned that honor does not always mean right. I believe it was honorable that Ranma kept your secret, however it was not right. You're behavior with regards to my sister was neither right nor was it honorable." There is no question of Kasumi's disapproval now.

"I never did anything to hurt Akane, I just… She was nice to me, I wanted to be close to her."

"You took advantage of her trust and ignorance. I haven't told her because I don't want to hurt her, but it will not continue."

"I'm sorry, I just… I'm sorry. But if this is leading up to it being honorable to stand by and let Ranma gut himself then I'm going to do what's right this time. I've seen way too much of Ranma's blood already."

I am definitely going to have to rethink encouraging Ranko to date Hibiki Ryoga.


	6. Accusation

**Accusation**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the delay. First there were finals, then I'll been traveling for the last few weeks.

* * *

I can't believe that pervert! He's been practically hanging on poor Ryoga ever since his mother got here. He's always playing cruel tricks like this. Ryoga's so sensitive. It's just mean! I know Ranma has to pretend to be a girl because of his mom but he doesn't have to use Ryoga to make it more believable. He doesn't have to dress like that!

Ranma's girl-form is so pretty. Petite, delicate, coloring that makes everyone take notice. Even with no make-up and dressed in clothes four sizes too big everyone stares. In a flattering green sundress that fits, Ranma's stunning and she's still the best martial artist in Nerima. It's not fair. Auntie Nodoka is the only one who thinks Ranma's girl-form isn't feminine. No one else thinks of her as a tomboy!

She's prettier than me; just look at how Ryoga's watching her, even though he knows that she's Ranma this time. Ranma out-cuted Tsubasa, before anyone had a clue that Tsubasa was a guy too. It's perverted.

She cooks better than me; Ranma had to do the cake twice because she used her Kachü Tenshin Amaguriken technique to beat the batter, turned it into a froth and she had to start over but it still came out great in the end. Everyone says how much my cooking has improved, meaning no one refused to eat what I made and no one threw up afterwards, but I'm not stupid, it's not good.

She's the best martial artist. The first time he fought Ryoga I though Ranma was in trouble when he got hit with water but it doesn't matter how cute and tiny Ranma's girl-form is she's still a better fighter than anyone else.

Nabiki's smart. Kasumi's so nice and perfect and they're both prettier than me. I couldn't compete with them but I was the best at martial arts back when Daddy was teaching all of us. I know it's a boy thing but I was the best at it, even better than the boys. It was my only thing. Then Ranma came and he proved it was a big fat lie. Even Kuno was just letting me win and he's a joke. Everyone's better than me. They all want Ranma. He could have any girl… or any guy. Even P-Chan abandoned me for Ranma. Why would he want me?

"Girls, that was a wonderful meal." Auntie Nodoka beams at both Ranma and I, but I know she likes her precious Ranko better, even though he won't tell her he's really her son.

"And they didn't blow up the kitchen in the process either. I'm amazed." Nabiki comments with a snide smile. She earns a dark look from Auntie Nodoka but Kasumi, my big sister Kasumi, can't hide her sigh of relief at the reminder. No one has any faith in me.

"And you look lovely Ranko, I don't know why you don't wear the outfits from our shopping trips more often." When Nodoka comments on Ranma's appearance Ryoga can't seem to stop himself from looking at the boy turned girl sitting beside him. The flush staining his cheeks tells me what he's thinking.

Ryoga used to only look at me like that. I couldn't encourage him, because I'm going to marry Ranma… because I have to, it's not that I l… like that pervert. Still it was nice to have someone look at me like I was beautiful.

The Henti Horde doesn't count. No matter how many times they screamed that they loved me I wasn't a girl to them. I was Kuno's tigress, a prize to be brought down, stuffed and mounted on their wall; just a conquest to be bragged about to their friends. They only wanted me because Kuno couldn't have me and he always wants what he can't have.

Kuno had a thing for Nabiki once. It never got as out of hand as it did with me, she went out with him. After that he took her off the pedestal and started noticing flaws. He dumped her a week later. Nabiki already had her Ice Queen reputation but he managed to crack her mask. Kuno hadn't gotten into Shakespeare yet so his flattery sounded less practiced and less ridiculous back then and all the other guys were afraid of her. Nabiki is still getting even with him, that's why he's her favorite mark.

Nodoka gets up from the table and steps around Ryoga to kneel behind Ranma. Affectionately she tugs on Ranma's pigtail and sighs. "I wish you'd let me take you to beauty parlor. This hair-style is so childish, you've out grown it Ranko-chan."

Ranma twitches nervously. She pulls her pig-tail out of Nodoka's hand and grabs it defensively.

Nodoka looks sad. "I'm sorry. I over-stepped my bounds. It's none of my business. I'm not your mother. It's just, my hair was just that color when I was your age. If I'd had a daughter she'd probably look very much like you."

The look on Nabiki's face should worry me. I know she's vengeful and the situation with Ranko and Auntie Nodoka makes her jealous. She wouldn't really betray Ranma's secret but she loves using it to make sure he doesn't get to enjoy having his mother around much.

Nabiki puts on a sad face. "I remember doing things like getting hair done with our mother before… it always made her so happy."

Ranma's shoulders slump in defeat. He won't do the right thing and tell his mother who he is, but he'd do almost anything else to make it up to her. He doesn't trust her, I know she carries that sword around but she's his mother. Parents love their children unconditionally when she sees him she'll say he's good enough even if he is a pervert and a jerk.

Maybe Nabiki is on to something. "I think Ranko would look really cute with a bob." He'll have to cut his hair boy-short afterwards since the Dragon-whisker porridge wore off. Ranma may not like his cursed form but he's vain about it. It'd serve him right to have to get a hair cut that doesn't look good on one of his forms and there's no way he'd keep a girly style.

"Okay I'll do it." Ranma says and Nodoka claps her hands together like a little girl.

"Huh?" Ranma makes a startled sound as Ryoga pulls him away from Auntie Nodoka.

"I don't think it'd be good for Ranko to do a lot of walking right now, what with her stitches." Is Ryoga mad at Auntie Nodoka?

"I'm fine!" Ranma snaps as she jerks away. "Stop treating me like ya gotta protect me from every little thing! I ain't a…" He steals a worried glance at his mother. "I'm not fragile."

"How badly hurt are you?" Auntie Nodoka sounds worried.

"It's nothing."

"She nearly died!" Was Ranma really hurt that bad? I can't believe that, nothing touches Ranma. Every time I worry about him or try to help him I just end up getting in the way.

"How did it happen? Have you seen a doctor?"

"I'm fine. It's nothing. Lets go." Ranma jumps to her feet, eager to prove what she's claiming. She immediately heads for the door.

Ryoga glares at Auntie Nodoka for some reason and declares. "I'm coming too." I stand up as well.

As we turn onto the street Ranma glances over his shoulder. "Hey Bacon-breath…"

"Ranko that is not lady-like." Nodoka frowns slightly at her child. Ranma looks torn. He really hates it when his mom scolds him, but if he weren't lying to her about who he is she wouldn't want him to be lady-like. I'd feel sorry for him if the pervert wasn't always trying to be a better girl than me when his mom's around.

"I didn't mean nothing bad by it Auntie."

That gets him an exasperated sigh.

Ranma looks at the ground and mumbles. "Sorry." Then she strides off with the same look she wears before eating my cooking… At least I don't try to poison him, just because Shampoo's food tastes good is no reason to eat it. And I am getting better.

Auntie Nodoka seems satisfied. She starts talking about how cute Ranma's going to look and how the boys will just flock to her. It really should bother me, but Ranma's face is turning green.

Ryoga trails along behind the three of us.

The pattern of Ranma insulting Ryoga, getting reprimanded then apologizing repeats several times. Eventually Ranma starts remembering to apologize before Auntie Nodoka gets a word in. Normally Ranma doesn't apologize and normally Ryoga wouldn't care. They should have been in a fight by the second taunt at the latest. Only Ryoga doesn't forget stuff.

He always has gifts, souvenirs from his travels, for my family and I. Kasumi really loves this one tea he brought from Hokkaido so Ryoga picks some up every time he ends up there. It's remarkable how happy it makes Kasumi when he noticed and remembered her preference. Ryoga doesn't forget the bad stuff either; I mean geeze, following Ranma all over China because of some silly bread feud!

Ryoga doesn't ever forget that Ranma's healing right now. A dozen times a day I'm just a second from pounding the jerk because of some awful or perverted thing he said. Ryoga never looses it; he even stopped me once. Kasumi asked him to play bodyguard until Ranma was better. Ryoga takes it really seriously. I was about to punch Ranma through the roof and Ryoga caught my fist, then he asked me if I wanted to risk Ranma's stitches tearing and having him bleed to death alone somewhere. The look in Ryoga's eyes when he said that scared me, not because I thought he'd hurt me but because he really believes that it could happen. He believes that I could kill Ranma by accident. He has to be exaggerating. Ryoga blows things out of proportion all the time. It takes everything I've got just to get Ranma to notice me and then the jerk just laughs.

Still with Ryoga and Ranma not fighting I realize something about Ranma's insults. He does it every time we turn a corner. It makes Ryoga's temper flare and then he focuses on Ranma and turns in the right direction. Ranma doesn't even think about what he's doing, like subtly keeping Ryoga close is just natural for him. It makes Ranma look like a jerk but it doesn't draw attention to Ryoga's directional problem. Ranma can't be doing it consciously.

"Nihao Ranma!" Shampoo, I hate Shampoo.

"Ranma? Where?" Ranma absolutely cringes at the excitement and hope that we hear in his mother's voice.

Luckily Nodoka is off peering around the corner when Shampoo pours a kettle of hot water over Ranma and latches onto him. "Shampoo take Ranma somewhere private. Get rid of too, too silly clothes."

For once Ranma doesn't seem to notice her; he just stares at Nodoka's back with a look of frozen horror. The seams of the pretty green sundress that complimented Ranko so well are strained to the bursting point by Ranma's significantly larger male frame.

I want him to tell his mom, but not like this. Nodoka is going to turn around any second now.

There's water fountain right behind him, just what we need.

"Meow!"

"Ahhhh!!! Geddit off!!"


	7. Determination

**Determination**

**Disclaimer:** Characters and setting are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

* * *

A splash of cold water and we off. Girl-Ranma shrieks, runs around in circles. Neko-me clings on for dear life, claws digging into Airen's scalp. Shampoo knows she only makes things worse but cat-instincts say no let him throw me… Okay, cat-instincts and maybe a bit of scorned-girl spite.

Ranma rejected me! Shampoo is best warrior, best cook… Shampoo is best! Spatula-girl only know to make one thing, Shampoo thinks. Shampoo is too, too much sexier than other fiancées. Violent-girl is uncute, Airen say so. Spatula-girl hide body with boy-type clothes. Shampoo knows boys like looking at girl bodies. Even stupid Mousse forget vanity and wears glasses when neko-Shampoo comes home needing water. Then Shampoo hit him for taking liberties; is good fun.

Who cares Shampoo no speak Japanese too good? Bossy Great-Grandmother say Shampoo must even be thinking in stupid, stupid language! Words is no good to Airen, even in his language. Shampoo thinks Ranma have more trouble than Shampoo when trying to make words come right.

Best way to understand Airen is ignore all words. Voice, body, face; they all speak true. When Shampoo first give kiss of marriage Shampoo's Japanese much worser than now. Airen try to talk, but words make no sense. Still body say he shy. Face say he appreciates Shampoo's form. Voice say no want to hurt. All these things true. Then Shampoo got cat-curse and even when she in girl-form Airen still see cat. Stupid Great Grandmother, stupid punishment.

It hurt Shampoo when Ranma's body say 'Go away!' She be friendly, too, too nice and all his muscles go rigid, is door slam in Shampoo's face. So maybe Shampoo is getting him back a little when cat-me dig claws into Ranma.

Shampoo have no choice! Rules no let Shampoo stop chasing. Must marry Airen, but no want him to hate Shampoo. Is no fair! Shampoo see Airen with Spatula-girl, Ranma make allowances for marriage scheming because he knows Spatula-girl bound by honor to try, will never hate her for it. Shampoo bound too but Airen think Amazon laws stupid, silly, not to be respected. They Shampoo's laws! As real to me as shame that make Spatula-girl pretend to be boy.

"Mrow??" Airen stopped, what happened? Lost boy crazy to be grabbing Ranma when cat involved. That insolent male! He hold Ranma and throw Neko-Shampoo away? Shampoo lands on her feet, of course; is cat after all. Then she just watches.

"It's gone, Ran-Ranko," lost boy's voice is gentle. He still holds Airen close. "You're safe. The… Shampoo's gone. You're safe. I promise you're safe."

Ha! Jealous-girl never admit but she be mad Ranma not go cat. Neko-Ranma always go to Jealous-girl. She say "Pervert" when Neko-Ranma be friendly but she be the one thinking those thoughts. Shampoo know much too much about male-cat wanting female-cat. Neko-Ranma no act like that, just pet wanting affection. Nekoken is no Jusenkyo curse. It his mind that changes, not his body. Still Ranma, but Ranma who thinks cat not boy. Shampoo is Shampoo who looks cat not girl sometimes, is much different. Heh, jealous girl take wrong suitor for pet, yes?

Speaking about Pig-boy, what he doing with arm around Airen still? Now Strange-lady get involved, she looks like older girl-type Ranma. Pig-boy pulls Airen even closer. Shampoo thinks she no like Pig-boy either.

"Ranko-chan, what's wrong?" The woman strokes Airen's bangs. "Sweetie, I've never seen you upset like this. What's wrong?"

"C-c-cat!"

"It's gone. There's no cat!"

"A-a cat? I don't understand." Woman looks confused. I understand, most girl-types like cute, little kitten.

"Um… Auntie Saotome, when Ranko was a small child she um… fell in a pit filled with starving cats." Is creative way to describe cat-fu training.

"A pit filled with cats?" Is creative, not plausible. "How horrible!" Okay, Shampoo wrong.

Airen shivers, Pig-boy ducks and… and kiss Shampoo's Airen on temple?!

"P-Chan, cut it out." Airen sounds tired, should sound furious. Airen should be fighting Pig-boy, not slumping against him!

Is sick! Is wrong! Is no fair! Airen should let Shampoo comfort, not Pig-boy! Is one thing Ranma no let anyone kiss or hold. He not kiss Akane even for fake play. Is totally different thing for Ranma let someone hold him. Why Pig-boy? Why Ryoga not Shampoo?

Ranma no like letting girl protect him? Shampoo is too, too good Amazon warrior with three thousand years of Chinese Amazon Traditions but she play helpless damsel so Ranma rescue. Shampoo gets attention that way. Ranma never leave girl-person in trouble.

Amazon-womans is supposed to be warrior, protector. Ranma no let womans protect, Akane do anyway, Ranma no thank. Ranma not let self depend on her. Akane only be holding Ranma like Ryoga does if Ranma be cat-thinking. Is it because pig boy is a mans? Is okay to lean on another mans but Shampoo only good for rescuing?

No, Airen have to be best. Will let none, males or females be victorious. Is cat-fear. Is different. Steals mind even if Ranma no go cat. Is more Childs-in-pit than Airen right now.

Is not Airen but Pig-boy who be sick. Pig-boy is always pervert, uses cursed form to sneak into Kitchen-destroyer's bed. Now wants Airen's cursed form, is wrong. Is making self obstacle…

Is okay. Shampoo kills obstacles and this time Airen no interfere like with Kitchen-Destroyer, Airen no like pervert boys that want cursed form.

Shampoo kill pervert boy and Airen thank, take Shampoo on too, too nice date maybe.

Where be nearest hot water?

* * *

**Author's Note: **My apologies for any trouble understanding this chapter. I really did want to keep it in Shampoo's 'voice' broke-language and all, but have her get across what she's thinking as she observes the developing relationship between Ranma and Ryoga. I hope I hit a decent balance between the way she talks and being comprehensible, but it's tough for me to be sure. 


	8. Obligation

**Obligation**

**Disclaimer: **Characters and setting are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

* * *

"Ranma! What are you doing?"

"Geeze Ryoga."

"Get off that fence right now. You're supposed to be taking it easy."

"I thought you turned into a pig, not a mother hen."

"If you didn't need a keeper I wouldn't have to. Now get down off the fence before something happens to make you fall off."

"Yes mother."

"I'm not **her** either."

"Hey Ryoga,.. where ya goin'?"

"Heh… Isn't it this way?"

"Ryo-ga…" A loud sigh. "We're never going to get there, Ryoga. Here."

"Don't, people are going to stare."

Where are my glasses? I need to see… Ranma is holding Ryoga's hand!? I didn't think it was possible, I thought Shampoo misunderstood. Maybe Saotome really isn't interested in my Shampoo.

"_Well I can't say I'm complete shocked, Great Granddaughter. You certainly gave him plenty of opportunities to be seduced, I expected him to have some trouble turning them down." _

"_Shampoo, this is wonderful. Now you and I…" _

"_Stupid Mousse. Shampoo no marry you if last man on Earth!" _

_The purple haired Amazon dumped a bucket of water over her unwanted suitor's head, tossed her hair over her shoulder and stalked away. _

"_Mousse, you realize if Son-in-Law does not choose Shampoo she will lose all honor with the tribe."_

From the sounds of things Saotome is suffering injuries. If I take advantage of that and defeat him now Shampoo will be free. She'll lose some status when I refuse the rematch Saotome will certainly demand but it's better than the alternatives.

"Saotome! For Shampoo's honor, your day has come!" I shout as I launch a dozen weighted chains at my foe.

Hibiki jumps in the way and uses his umbrella to deflect my attack.

"P-Chan! What'd ya think you're doing?"

"Fighting is not taking it easy Ranma!"

They're ignoring me! I tug at my weapons but the chains are tangled around Hibiki's umbrella and trying to move him is as futile as trying to explain reality to a Kuno.

"He challenged me to a fight Ryoga!"

"Well he can just come back next week after your stitches are out."

And what would the point be then? Saotome would flatten me like he always does. "A true warrior doesn't make excuses. He is ready for battle at any time."

"Sorry Ryo-chan. You heard the duck." Does Saotome have sound so eager? I have him at a disadvantage; he should be worried.

Hibiki scowls at me. "A real warrior, an honorable person, doesn't come after an injured opponent." He sounds disgusted

"My love for Shampoo does not acknowledge honor or pride." My love does, however, have its limits. There are some things I won't do, even for Shampoo.

"_More than just Shampoo's honor is at stake boy. The tribe needs fresh blood to stay strong. Furthermore, despite three thousand years of Amazon Tradition we need change. Haven't you ever wondered why I don't order Shampoo to finish this?" _

"_Quack!! Quack-quack!" Because she would flout your authority, like she did when she returned without slaying the red-haired outsider girl we believed Ranma to be. _

"_Yes, yes, Shampoo is young and romantic. She wants him to love her, but I've flouted tradition myself by teaching him; an outsider male; our secrets. The council would prefer Ranma be brought back broken in spirit and body; a trophy husband, good for nothing but providing strong genes for Shampoo's children. I've broken with them in order to assist Shampoo in bring him back to our village whole and with his curse intact. _

"_Haven't you ever wished for change Mousse? You are the most skilled male warrior of your generation. Had you been allowed the privilege of competing in our tournament you would have placed well, maybe a tier below Shampoo. But you weren't allowed to prove yourself. You will never hold a place of importance in the Council. You will always be dismissed as a mere male." _

"_Quack, quack!!" Like you'd ever look at me as more than a convenient slave, old mummy! _

"_We're stagnating Mousse. Stagnation cannot survive the chaos that trails in Ranma's wake. Son-in-Law has his own prejudices; he can be counted on to defend his masculinity. He will not allow a girl to best him or dismiss him. His curse will drive the strict traditionalist to distraction."_

I know the old hag is right. Ranma carries himself as a warrior and in his cursed form the Elders will respond to him as if he were an Amazon Warrior, a potential successor to the Council. His baring demands no less.

"Alright Mousse. You don't care about honor; neither do I. If you try to fight Ranma today, you'll be fighting both of us."

"Bacon-breath! Butt out of my fight!"

"No, you can fight us both if you like… next week. This week I'm taking care of you. I promised Kasumi-san after all." Ryoga sounds smugly pleased with his reasoning. No one ever breaks a promise to Tendo Kasumi; that girl is so nice it's unreal.

I can hear surrender in Ranma's sigh. "Next week, okay Mousse? If Bacon-breath here makes a nuisance of himself again you can fight me after I pound him into the ground."

By next week I'll have missed my window of opportunity. With Hibiki here I can't try to use Saotome's injuries to wear him down. I have to win quickly and decisively. I throw a dozen knives at them and hope Saotome has less than his standard agility to call on.

Hibiki opens his umbrella like a shield and charges me. Saotome jumps the main barrage then twists in midair to avoid the four knives I deliberately threw high. A moment later Hibiki's fist smashes into my chest like a pile driver and I find myself embedded in the wall across the street. Watching him hit Ranma it's easy to forget how powerful Ryoga truly is. I don't think I'll be moving anytime soon.

"Stay out of my fights," Saotome sulks. He punches Hibiki in the shoulder.

"I'm not gonna hit you back, you know that." Ryoga replies with an air of smugness in his voice.

"You're not much fun right now," Saotome complains. He catches Ryoga's wrist. "Come on lets go we're gonna be late for the movie."

"You're sure we shouldn't have asked the Tendos to come?" Ryoga sounds embarrassed.

"And get dragged to something girly?" Ranma counters. "I'd have asked Ucchan, but everyone would have thought it was some sort of date then the other girls would jump in and I wouldn't have gotten to watch the show. It's better if just you and I go 'cause it's obviously **not** a date so I can relax and have fun."

"Just you and me…" I don't even need my glasses I can **hear** Hibiki blushing.

"_There is one way that Shampoo's honor can be maintained without her marrying or killing Ranma. One set of circumstances where an outsider woman may defeat an Amazon warrior without being given the kiss of death. It is customary to state the terms of the challenge before hand, but the precedent exists to do so after the fact… You remember the story of Perm and Josephine do you not?" _

"_Quack! Quack! Quack!" No way! No how! Not gonna you old hag! Find someone else to be your pawn. _

"_Josephine was a scout from a warring village, Perm discovered her by accident. She should have killed him and hid the body but he was handsome and had a charming smile. Josephine took him captive but Perm was clever and managed to send smoke signals to alert the village. Josephine's cover was blown and she fled into the mountains, taking Perm with her after defeating several warriors from the village. A blizzard came and the pursuit was halted. Josephine and Perm found themselves depending on one another for their very lives. They fell in love before the snows melted. When the Amazon warriors cornered the young lovers the next spring Perm swore that he would fight and die at Josephine's side, even against his own people. Josephine sorrowed at the thought of being enemies with her lover's kin. The elder leading the party declared that if Josephine would foreswear all other alliances she would be welcome to join the Amazons as Perm's wife. And so a new law was made that an outsider woman may challenge an Amazon champion for the right to marry one of our men should she consent to join our people." _

"_QUACK!" NO! _

"_Ranma has shown no interest in learning our ways. If you're more to his taste than Shampoo I'm certain he could be married into the tribe before he realizes that he joined as a female warrior. Shampoo's honor would be preserved. Ranma's strength would be added to ours and his female form is not unappealing. I'm certain you could learn to accept the marriage."_

I don't care what the old mummy says. I am not marrying Saotome Ranma!


	9. Validation

**Validation**

**Disclaimer: **Premise and characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

* * *

Action flicks are a guilty pleasure of mine. All those years of pretending to be a boy I never developed a taste for chick flicks. Now I'm Ranma-honey's 'cute fiancée' and I've got an image to maintain.

I wouldn't feel comfortable wearing a dress to school let alone those tight, only as decent as the law demands outfits Shampoo favors but as long as I act like less of a tomboy than Akane I'll stay Ranma's cute fiancée. I dropped all sorts of hints about how I knew Ranchan wanted to see the new the Jackie Chan movie and that I'd let him drag me along for company but he didn't take me up on it. It wasn't just about getting a date with Ranchan and getting one up on the other fiancées, I really did want to see the movie. I really would have enjoyed going to it with Ranchan. Laughing about the fight scenes because we do stuff that's even cooler, booing the villains, cheering the heroes, having fun together the way we used to.

Ranchan and I used to do everything together. Now I've got to run the restaurant and compete with Shampoo and Akane for his time. I miss having fun with Ranchan instead of chasing him all the time.

I miss the old days, even if we were just pals Ranchan was all mine. Oh, there were other kids around but Ranma played too hard for anyone else to keep up with us, not that they really tried. My dad and I were a little migratory but the Saotomes were drifters. Dad and I saw how remarkable Ranma was but most people didn't bother. They just saw his old man and wanted nothing to do with him.

I still wanted to see the movie. I left Konatsu in charge of the shop for a few hours. I thought about closing the shop and taking Konatsu to the movie with me. I don't know anyone else I could ask, but then it would look like a date and if the other fiancees found out they'd use it against me. So in the end I came alone, I'll just have to pretend Ranchan's with me.

What the? Ranchan came with Ryoga? Well I guess it's better than if he were spending time with the Chinese hussy or his uncute fiancée.

Now that I think about it, it's actually it's a good thing if Ryoga and Ranma spend more time together. The more they act like friends the less likely Ranma is to marry Akane. Ranma doesn't love her; she's the uncute fiancée after all. Ryoga loves Akane though, it's so easy to see, for everyone except Akane that is. Ranma-honey's a real sweetheart, he wouldn't want to see his friend's heart broken, I hope. So the closer Ranma and Ryoga are the better it is for me.

I'm Ranchan's cute fiancée. I'm going to be his wife. I don't need to be his best friend anymore. I can let Ryoga have that spot if it gets Akane out of my way.

Ranma can't ditch Akane without losing honor but if Akane were to decide she wanted out… If she really wanted out of the engagement, say if she fell in love with Ryoga… Mr. Tendo is a wimp he'd give in if Akane really wanted him to.

After the movie's over Ranma grabs Ryoga's wrist and drags him along in his wake. In some ways he hasn't changed at all since we were six years old. Ranma never walks when he could run and following him is like being pulled into whirlpool. Ten years ago that would have been me, not Ryoga. I'm not jealous.

Ryoga keeps tugging Ranma back to walk at his side instead of letting Ranma tow him along after him. He glances around uncertainly to see if people are staring at them. I don't know why he doesn't just pull his hand away. Well, maybe he's worried about getting lost. I guess that makes sense. Ryoga could get lost in a closet with only one door. And Ranma did used to drag me around like that when we were just kids and he thought I was a boy, it doesn't mean anything. I'm really not jealous.

Then Ranma stops to splash himself with some water and I know they were going to get Ice Cream. Ranchan is such a dope about not eating Ice Cream as a guy. The next time Ryoga pulls Ranchan back to his side he rearranges their hands. Instead of Ranma tugging on Ryoga's wrist like an impatient child their fingers are interlaced… like a couple's!

What the HELL does Hibiki think he's doing! We're a team, the two of us. We have an understanding! I help him get Akane and he gets her out of Ranchan and I's way. That's how it was supposed to work. When it was all said and done, when Ryoga marries Akane and I marry Ranchan, then we could all be friends and laugh about all the nonsense we went through when we were younger. I know that's what Ranma has really wanted all along. We would have all lived happily ever after.

Ryoga sure as hell wasn't supposed to be trying to take Ranma for himself! Ranma is mine! He's the only boy I've ever wanted. After he left me it hurt so bad I never wanted to give anyone the chance to do that to me again. Then Ranchan came back and he was just the same.

I wasted ten years of my life hating him for something he'd never done. He didn't know, he just didn't know that they were supposed to take me with them. He smiled and called me by my old nickname and told me I was cute and took all my anger away. Ten years and nothing to show for it. Marrying Ranma is the only way to get those years back, to make them worth something again.

I won't let anyone take him away from me again. Not Shampoo, not Akane and sure as hell not my good ole partner Ryoga! I'll kill him first!

"Ryoga! You traitor, you blasted traitor! I thought I could trust you!" I yell as I unlimber my spatula. I'm gonna flatten him.

"Ucchan, what are you doing?"

"This is between me and Ryoga, Ranchan."

"U-Ukyo." He can't even look at me, the bastard.

"You better defend yourself **partner**."

My spatula rebound off his umbrella. The jackass is too guilty to attack me but I can't break his defenses. If I'd have known I was going to be fighting Ryoga I would have come loaded for bear. How could I have anticipated this? I thought he was my friend, my partner.

"What are you guys fighting over?" Sometimes you can be such an idiot, Ranchan. Ryoga's heart is in his eyes. He love you just like the rest of us but only one of us gets to have you and it's going to be me


	10. Apprication

**Appreciation**

Disclaimer: Characters and setting are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

* * *

It's delicious fun to watch my Ranma-darling in action and with the recent rumors flying about I've every excuse to indulge myself.

Besides practice seems so pointless these days. I wish for a rematch with the pedestrian Pigtailed girl who fascinates my idiot brother so. None of my opponents since her have had the skill to even make it to the ring.

And so I go to search for challenge and to feast my eyes on the fair form of my beloved. The rooftops beckon and I cannot help but answer the call.

Chaos is the beacon that guides me to the side of my lord. I choose to hold back and admire him for the moment.

My Ranma-sama is in the company of the gypsy Hibiki. They laugh and joke as they spar. I envy them their camaraderie. I had hoped for such a friendship with the pigtailed girl but she stood in the way of my destined love and love knows not right or wrong.

They are marvelous. The laws of gravity fall away from my darling Ranma and he soars. Hibiki is as solid as the earth beneath his feet as he meets Ranma's attacks. I can see how they hold back but it doesn't hide the power inherent in their bodies, in sleek muscles rippling beneath their skin. Watching them quite takes my breath away.

I could have watched them for hours but alas it was not to be. That low class foreign hussy just had to interfere. The purple haired harlot carries a sword today and her target is the eternal wanderer.

The fanged boy had laid aside his weapons to spar with my most adored and is at a disadvantage. Still he claps her blade between his hands and halts its descent.

Base temptress though she is, the Amazon is no slouch when it comes to strength and she has leverage on her side. However Ranma-sama looks more annoyed than worried. His judgment proves true and the gypsy boy twists the sword from the Amazon's hands.

"What is your problem, Shampoo?" my darling Ranma demands.

"Airen no worry, Shampoo get rid of Pervert-Boy!" Presumptuous hussy.

"Ryoga is my friend! That is it. You don't go around trying to kill my friends!"

The lost boy slumps minutely at my Ranma-sama's declaration.

"Airen is much innocent. Is sweet." The hussy shrugs. "No see that pervert boy is obstacle and…"

"Obstacles are for killing. Don't you dare try it Shampoo!" So much fire in such blue eyes and to see it directed at one of those unworthy peasants who dare lay claim to my Ranma-sama, my heart's a flutter.

The foreign serving wench relents but as she leaves she glares at Hibiki with such hate in her eyes that I know that it will only be a matter of time before she takes my love up on his dare. I am quite looking forward to it.

After the purple haired witch is gone that wretched Tendo Akane arrives to plague my beloved.

"Enough is enough Ranma! Pretending to be Ryoga's girlfriend to keep your mom convinced that you're really Ranko is perverted, even for you!" My Ranma's pretending to be a girl? It is obvious she is deluded. I do not understand how he tolerates one such as her around him.

"And do you ever think about poor Ryoga? He's lonely! How will he ever find a real girlfriend if you keep doing things like that?"

The lost boy looks quite yummy when he blushes. Not as delicious as my Ranma-sama, but…

"It wasn't a date!"

"Ukyo saw you!"

"I was in guy form, there was no way she could confuse that with a date!"

Hibiki seems to have a faint greenish aura around him, curious.

"Are you a pervert for goin' to girly movies with Yuki and Sari, Akane? Ryoga is my friend! Him kissin' me was just a silly mistake."

"You kissed Ryoga! You are such a pervert Ranma! I swear, I'm never going to marry someone like you! The engagement is off!"

My life just keeps getting better and better, my Ranma-sama is angry at the foreign hussy and now the peasant Tendo Akane releases him from that awful engagement their fathers forced on my beloved.

The spoiled little Tendo stomps off in a high dungeon while Ryoga looks torn as he glances between her retreating back and my Ranma. "I should tell her it wasn't like that."

"Why bother, the UNCUTE TOMBOY never listens. We fight and I'm picking on you, we hang out together and I'm being a pervert."

My loves needs my comfort after the abuse he has suffered at the hands of that wretched girl! I shall go to him… Oh it's the blind foreigner. Ranma-darling's clothes frequently get torn when they fight, perhaps I should delay in offering sympathy and comfort.

The white robed boy attacks from the shadows without giving warning. I admire that in a person but it isn't enough of an edge to disturb my Ranma. His body flows around the other boy's spear like smoke. Ranma leans back and kicks the spear out of Mousse's hands.

The gypsy looks worried. I don't know why, my Ranma-sama is far too skill to be harmed by the likes of the myopic fighter.

Still as my Ranma closes with him knives appear in the white garbed boy's hands as if conjured by magic. My Ranma evades the blades by the narrowest of margins.

Ooooh! There goes a piece of Ranma-sama's shirt! And there go the knives. A sword. Another sword. A swatch of shirt, YES! Several weighted chains. A bomb. A kitchen sink.

And then it's over. My Ranma delivers more blows than I can count in the space of a heartbeat and the foreign boy is left on the ground, barely capable of holding on to consciousness.

My Ranma turns to leave. Mousse struggles to his feet, he stares at the ground, from his posture his defeat is easily read. "Wo ai ni." I do not understand his words, but his tone is one of surrender. Their effect on my love is startling. Ranma and Ryoga freeze in mid-step and turn back to stare at Mousse. The white clad boy swallows harshly then darts forward and wraps his arms around Ranma-sama's neck then kisses him on the mouth. Is it getting warm in here?

Ryoga is doing that odd glowing thing again.

Ranma recovers from his surprise and pushes Mousse away. Drat, I was hoping for more of a show. "Did I hit ya too hard Duck-boy? It don't matter if I beat ya 'cause you're already trying to kill me and ya can't marry me. We're both guys, you know we're both guys so none of this 'wo ai ni' crap."

"Amazon law says very little about outsiders defeating one of the village's males." Mousse's mouth twists unhappily. "It's not considered a noteworthy accomplishment. The old mummy recognized your worth to the tribe when she began tracking you, Saotome. I can't beat you. I know you won't knowingly bring dishonor on anyone. The only way for Shampoo to escape further loss of face is for you to marry into the Amazons. If you prefer me to Shampoo, Cologne can work with that."

"This is nuts! I ain't marrying a guy. Geeze, what's with everyone?"

An explosion shakes the ground and ruptures a water main.

"Ryoga, you pig, I thought you were my friend!" The cross-dressing serving girl snarls.

My Ranma-sama and the other two boys have disappeared. I have no interest in the antics of my brother's Pigtailed girl or a pig and a duck.

"Ucchan! Don't!"

Where has my love disappeared to? Oh well, I depart in search of my love!


	11. Misinterpretation

**Misinterpretation**

Disclaimer: Characters and setting are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

* * *

"Hey P-Chan, is it just me or is everyone acting even nuttier then usual?"

The dulcet tones of my pig-tail girl fill mine ears with beauty! I turn yon corner, eager to feast my eyes on her fair visage when, horror of horrors! I see that miscreant Hibiki. He has exposed himself to the Pig-tailed girl! The debased fiend!

My pig-tailed girl holds a kettle over his head. Obviously she was about to smite him with it for his perversity.

"Fear not Pig-tailed girl! I, Kuno Tatewaki, also known as the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High, will defend thy honor from this base knave!"

"Ow!" My love doth not know her own strength. It seems I should have given her a moment to recognize my glorious self before rushing to her rescue as she misjudged her swing. Rather than striking the knave Hibiki she has smacked me into yonder rose thicket.

I struggle but to no avail. I am well and truly stuck. I do hope Sasuke will arrive shortly to do his duty as a loyal retainer and free me. For the moment I am helpless, compelled to watch whatever further indignities the knave Hibiki inflicts on my fair pig-tailed girl. I have not the slightest power to intervene, tis a tragedy in the making. At least he's clothed himself while I was distracted by the rose bush.

"You're not imagining things Ranma." I have no clue who the knave is speaking to. There is no sign of the vile sorcerer Saotome. Regardless he continues: "I'm sorry, it's my fault," he states.

"How's it your fault that Shampoo, Ukyo, Akane and Mousse have all gone completely loopy?" my fair pig-tailed girl asks. Oh why is she even speaking to one such as he? And answering for Saotome no less? "I mean, Ukyo and Shampoo were really trying to kill you! What the hell were they thinking? And Mousse, I don't want to know what he was thinking!"

"They think I like you," Hibiki suddenly interrupts my pig-tail girl.

How dare anyone impugn her honor by suggesting she may have eyes for any besides me!?

" 'Course I like you, we're friends," my pig-tailed girl declares. I frown darkly. I shall have to smite the knave Hibiki with as much vigor as I bring to bear against Saotome. How dare he lay claim to any part of MY pig-tailed girl's heart?

"No Ranma." That fiend! That unmitigated fiend! He stares into my love's eyes, his heart on his sleeve. "They think I like you, like you. Not like a friend."

My pig-tail girl looks frightened. "Well they're all stupid."

"They're not wrong."

"Now you're being stupid!" Her eyes flash with anger but her body trembles as the foul villain advances on her. "You're just getting confused on account of the curse. You want to kill me."

Hibiki steps forward. "It'd kill me if you died," he declares.

"You want to beat me."

"Yeah, and get beaten by you and come back stronger than ever and do it again."

"Now you're talking sense," my pig-tailed girl relaxes and smiles at him in a way she should only smile at me!

"I want you to smile like that all the time."

"Huh?"

"And between spars I want to kiss you until you can't see straight."

"Y-you, you're acting like him! I ain't no girl!" Has my pig-tail girl's delicate mind been disturbed? What could make her say such things and point to me with such distain?

"I know that! I know me liking you is going to be nothing but trouble for both of us. But I can't help it. I don't care about how you look. It isn't about the curse. I don't care if you're a boy or a girl. I've been thinking about this ever since I kissed you in the hospital. Now I'm sure. I'm not in love with the girl-type Ranma, or the boy-type Ranma for that matter. I'm just in love with Ranma. With you."

"Ryoga! What are you doing with that kettle?" The pig-tailed girl has allowed Hibiki to corner her against the building. I have never seen her look so afraid.

Hibiki dumps the kettle's contents over my pig-tailed girl's head and she is swept away. By some sorcery she vanishes and is replaced with the vile Saotome.

"I love you Ranma."

And I do not believe mine eyes! Hibiki Ryoga just kissed Saotome Ranma, full on the lips, carefully and slowly.

And after a small squeak of disbelief Saotome makes no protest.

Finally I manage to tear myself free of the accursed rose bush, alas too late for my pig-tail girl has vanished once again.

Hibiki releases Saotome but the sorcerer makes no move to escape. He merely leans back against the wall and stares blankly into the distance.

"I do believe you've broken him," I inform the knave Hibiki. I really should smite him. However, I must think on recent developments. I have never seen Saotome so affected by a kiss, despite the Amazon wench's tasteless efforts to seduce him and my own sister's bizarre infatuation with him.

Perhaps Hibiki will be the one to free both Tendo Akane and the Pig-Tailed girl from Saotome's foul ensnarement. Once freed they will surely run into my arms!


	12. Confusion

**Changing View Points**

**Note: **This is Ranma's POV, I don't necessarily think everything he says is true. I think the fiancees really do have strong feelings for him, it's just that their honor-related reasons for chasing him are more apparent and easier for Ranma to grasp.

Disclaimer: Characters and premise belong to Rumiko Takahashi, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

* * *

**Confusion**

Ryoga kissed me. For real. Ryoga said he l-l-loves me.

This ain't Sanzenin kissin' every girl he can lay his hands on. It ain't Kuno shoutin' about his love for the Pig-Tailed Girl, or Kodachi chasin' after whoever she thinks her Ranma-sama is. Ryoga kissed _me_. Ryoga loves _me_.

He says he knows him feeling this way ain't nothing but trouble for either of us.

For Shampoo I'm some sort of trophy to drag home. Shampoo would feel the same about any guy who beat her. Akane might see me as a booby prize, but she still don't like losing.

Me and Ucchan are friends but she only wants to marry me to save face. I don't think she actually loves me or nothing. We were six years old, I didn't even know she was a girl, how could she have known she wanted to marry me? How could she be in love with me? I'm still not sure what being in love is.

Akane makes me feel warm inside when she smiles, sometimes I think maybe that's love. Then she calls me a pervert or blames me for something I ain't go no control over then I ain't so sure I love her. Akane says she can't stand me, but sometimes I think she actually likes me. Sometimes I think she doesn't like liking me. I think liking me is more trouble than Akane wants. I'm not normal. The curse makes that pretty damn apparent. But I think I wasn't normal even before that. If I were normal I wouldn't have gotten cursed in the first place.

Ryoga likin' me is trouble 'cause we're both guys. But Akane likin' me is almost as much trouble 'cause sometimes I _look _like a girl even if I'm a guy.

Ryoga says he wants to kiss me and he wants to fight with me. Ukyo wants me to run an Okonomiyaki restaurant with her. She'd be better off with Mousse or someone like that. The only thing I want with restaurant is to eat in 'em. I can waitress if I have to but I don't want to make a life of dressin' up like Shampoo to get tips, and my cookin' ain't nothing to brag about; best I can say is ya don't throw it up like Akane's. Shampoo, Kuno and Kodachi want to stick me in a trophy case. I don't know what Akane wants from me. I don't know that Akane wants me at all. I don't know that Akane knows what Akane wants.

Ryoga wants to fight with me. Ryoga wants someone to challenge him, someone he challenges. Ryoga wants _me_, the real me, the me I am.

What am I supposed to do? Maybe, possibly I could become the Ranma Akane wants, if she ever figures out who that is. The Ranma Ukyo wants ain't me and ain't ever gonna be me. Kuno and Kodachi wouldn't know real if real were a sledgehammer and they were being beaten over the had with it. And I ain't never gonna belong with the Amazons, not that Shampoo cares. Ryoga wants me, but screwin' over all three of the fiancees ain't any better than just screwin' over two of 'em. Ryoga loves me, ain't that a kick in the teeth?

What do you do when your best friend/rival kiss you and tells you he loves you? And it maybe felt sort of good. And you're both guys... Well most of the time anyways... At least half of the time you're both guys. And you're engaged to three girls, all of whom you can't just not marry on account of honor.

And maybe you even like-like one of those girls, sort of. Maybe. If she'd smile more. And hit you less. And listen to your side once and a while. And if she she'd stay the hell out of the kitchen. But even if you do like-like her, there's still Ucchan, who's your friend, who'd be shamed if you don't marry her. And Shampoo, who already got cursed to turn into a c-c-, one of those things, 'cause she didn't kill you. What'll they do to her if she doesn't marry you either?

And now Ryoga has to go and kiss me like that. The other kiss we could have forgotten. An I'm-so-happy-I-could-kiss-you impulse that didn't get stomped on quickly enough. Not that it wasn't nice, really nice, that me being alive made him that happy. It was nice but it didn't mean much. This kiss means there's one more ball I gotta juggle. This kiss means there's one more person who's life's gonna get screwed over when I finally drop those balls. Because Ryoga got hurt when I was just pretending to be some girl who liked him, now he likes me, for real, and I don't wanna hurt him.

Sounds of fighting, auras flaring at battle intensity. I gotta snap out of this daze. Wonder how long I've been out. Good thing Ryoga never tried kissing me in a fight before, he would of beaten me for sure. 'Course he's left himself more wide-open than any of us dare.

"K'so!" The girls found us. Shampoo's got that damn sword of hers and Ukyo's using flour bombs in addition to her spatulas.

"Stop picking on Ryoga!" Double k'so, Akane's trying to help. "It's Ranma's fault for leading him on so his mom would think 'Ranko' was a proper girl." I really can't remember why I like the uncute tomboy at all.

Ryoga doesn't like hurting girls anymore than I do, probably less to be honest, he can't turn into a girl and make it fair. He's fighting completely defensive. It wouldn't be such a big deal, even with the weapons the girls are wielding; after all they haven't improved much since they first showed up in Nerima, Ryoga has. That's what I like about Ryoga, he never gives up. That's why he'll always be fun. But he's gotta worry about Akane getting caught in the cross-fire or just getting in the way.

Akane hasn't gotten any better since I first met her either. And at least Ukyo and Shampoo were serious about training once, even if they've been slacking lately. Akane... well, Akane's good for an amateur, but the Art ain't never been her whole life. She's always had school and friends and normal stuff. She ain't near as good as Shampoo or Ukyo. And she doesn't get that, not even a little bit. Her helpin' is gonna get Ryoga killed.

"Kitchen-destroyer so stupid." What is Shampoo up to? "Airen not pervert, Pig-boy is."

"She's right Sugar. Ranchan isn't the one who uses his cursed form to sneak into your bed. Isn't that right, P-Chan?"

Akane hasn't ever got it, no matter how much I've hinted. She won't figure it out now. Ryoga! Stop getting distracted worrying about what Akane thinks, you're gonna get hurt.

Can't interfere with Ryoga's fight... even if it ain't nice of the girls to gang up on him like that. It ain't nice of them to attack him at all since he don't hit girls.

Akane's just making everything worse, like always. I can stop her from interfering. There's nothing dishonorable about keeping someone from getting in the middle of someone else's fight. If I get her outa here then Ryoga'll start focusing.


	13. Machinations

**Changing View Points**

**Disclaimer: **Premise and characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

**Chapter Thirteen: Machinations**

**

* * *

  
**

I gotta admit, Shampoo and I make a good team. Together we're keeping Ryoga off balance. Akane's doing her part too, even if she doesn't know it. We'll have her on our side for real once 'P-Chan's little secret gets out. That girl's got a wicked right hook and I'd bet Ryoga'll just take it from her, the same as Ranchan.

I'll bet figuring out Ranma knew about Ryoga all along and never told her 'll get Akane good and steamed at him too. And for once he'll actually deserve it. Not that I'll admit that to him.

I would have told Akane ages ago except I _used _to care about Ryoga ending up as bacon, I used to excuse his desperation to get any affection from Akane, even if it was for her pet. It wasn't _just_ because I wanted Akane to want to date him either. I _used_ to think that back-stabber was a friend. At least Shampoo's honest about being the competition.

"Kitchen-destroyer so stupid." I wince. Like that's gonna get Akane to listen to us. "Airen not pervert, Pig-boy is."

"She's right Sugar. Ranchan isn't the one who uses his cursed form to sneak into your bed. Ain't that right 'P-Chan'?"

Come on Ryoga. I'm not Ranma, I'm a girl. Go on and get all flustered and admit what a creep you are.

Then Akane'll knock you silly and Shampoo and I'll have the opening we need to pound you into paste.

What the hell is Ranchan doing? Grabbing Akane and dragging her off. He can't actually be siding with Ryoga!

Ranchan's wanted Akane to know about P-Chan since forever! He just couldn't tell her because of his honor. Now is no time for Ranma to go and start liking Ryoga!

Time for plan B. Now, before Ryoga gets his wits gathered. I've got a squirt-bottle filled with cold water and I know how to use it! Just have to be careful not to catch Shampoo by mistake. Gotta do it fast, while Akane's still here to see.

Ryoga's gotta pay for messing with me. I thought he was my ally.

I wait for a beat. Let Shampoo get that umbrella of his occupied. Then I hit him and it's a pork-chop on legs that we're fighting, not a Martial Artist.

Ranchan and Akane both freeze up for a moment. I'm not surprised when Akane recovers first. Ranchan has better reflexes, but Akane's temper is zero to sixty.


	14. Tradition

**Changing View Points**

**Disclaimer: **Premise and characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

**Chapter Fourteen: Tradition**

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* * *

  
**

Obstacles is for killing. Pig-boy is obstacle. Pig-boy think lowly male take Airen away from Shampoo? Obstacles is for killing.

Wait for opening.

Airen dragging off big distraction. Humph. Shampoo want win, not fair fight. Silly male.

Spatula-girl get water bottle. Is good time for plan B. Shampoo make Pig-boy use umbrella to block. Spatula-girl takes opening. Instant pork who's goose is cooked.

Kitchen-Destroyer have impressive battle aura for non-warrior.

Pig no have hands for blocking. And is cowering in terror of Kitchen-Destroyer wrath. Is easy strike. One blow take head clean off.

Obstacles is for killing. Obstacles is for killing. Three thousand years of Amazon tradition. Obstacles is for killing.

"Owww!!" Sword is broken, shattered. Ranma punch sword and shatter it. Hands hurt, all the way up to the elbows. Reverberations from sword shattering hurt.

Ranma block killing blow. Should be angry.

That's enough!" Ranma voice is just snarl. Ranma mad enough for all of us.

Great Grandmother say never kill Fiancee-Rivals. Is bit of relief, Shampoo never kill anyone yet, was big relief when have excuse to no kill Girl-Type Ranma. Wasn't good excuse says Council; give Cat-curse as punishment. Shampoo have to up hold traditions, but Great Grandmother say exception made for Fiancee-Rivals because Ranma never forgive, not even if he lives to be old as Great Grandmother. And Great Grandmother say it be very bad if Ranma that mad at Amazons.

Thought Ryoga not _real_ Fiancee-Rival. Thought Ryoga was different. Was wrong.


	15. Remonstration

**Changing View Points**

**Disclaimer: **Premise and characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

**Note: **Yes, the last two chapters were short, that's why I posted them together. The time they occur in is short and they cover overlapping events, but I did want to get Ranma, Ukyo, Shampoo and Akane's view of what was going on. I wanted it confirmed that Ranma is largely wrong about why Ukyo and Shampoo are being so violent. Still this is the Ranma-verse, if people didn't leap to wrong conclusions their world would implode.

**Chapter Fifteen: Remonstration**

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What is Ranma doing, dragging me off? Ryoga needs help! Shampoo and Ukyo are trying to _kill _him! And it's all Ranma's fault. He even admits that Ryoga is his friend these days. Why is he helping them instead of Ryoga?

... And I don't like it when he just sweeps me off my feet and carries me away. Really. I don't.

"Ranma you idiot!"

"Ryoga don't want some uncute girl getting in the middle of his fights."

Uncute? Getting in the way? I hate him! I hate him! I hate him!

And then IT happens. Ukyo squirts Ryoga with water and, right in front of me, he changes into P-Chan.

I've never been so angry before. Not at Ranma. Not at Kuno. I _trusted _Ryoga! I thought he was my friend! I thought P-Chan was my beloved pet! I told him, P-Chan, my secrets. I changed in front of P-Chan!! I slept with him in my arms! That Kami-Forsaken PERVERT is gonna die!

Ryoga, P-Chan, cowers on the ground as I approach. He's as bad as Daddy or Saotome-san groveling before Happosai. Disgusting pervert knows he deserves it. He's just like every other pervert-boy I've ever met. Worse, because the bastard made me believe he was different.

P-Chan is all I can see. My battle aura blacks out everything else. But him, him it marks clearly. He hurt me! I'm gonna hurt him, hurt him worse!

Oh Kami.

P-Chan - Ryoga, was crouched on hard-packed ground and I punched down. I never punch down, always up. Because it makes me feel better to see Ranma or Kuno go flying. Because they know how to take a punch, I'd never hit Nabiki or even the normal boys in our class that hard, but they're good enough that it wouldn't really hurt them... just as long as they could roll with it.

I hit P-Chan - Ryoga, as hard as I could, maybe harder, with all that anger behind it. And there was no way he could move with it, absorb the force. Is Ryoga stronger than a normal pig in his cursed form?

Oh Kami, I might have killed him.

Ranma's there, leaning over P-Chan - Ryoga. After a moment he glares at me as he picks P-Chan up and cradles him protectively. "Were you trying to kill him?"

"Is... Is he alright?"

"He's probably gonna have a hell of a concussion."

I feel like dirt.

"But Ryoga's tough, he'll be okay. This time. No thanks to the lot of you."

Ryoga's gonna be okay! What a relief.

Then I remember why I hit the pervert in the first place. "He deserved it. Peeping on me! Disgusting pervert! And you let him! What sort of excuse for a fiancé are you?" And I know I shouldn't say it, but he let Ryoga take advantage of me. "What sort of weak excuse for a man are you? I bet your _mom _would just love to hear about this."

I've never seen Ranma's eyes go cold like that before. Like his soul-of-ice technique but still so angry.

"You ever wondered why I started callin' Ryoga P-Chan all of a sudden? You ever wonder why I tried everything I could to get you_ not_ to sleep with your stupid pet pig? You ever wonder why, every time we hear a rumor about a Nannichuan Spring or some other cure for Jusenkyo Curses its always me, Mousse and _Ryoga _who go chasing it? Hell, not even a month ago you saw me, Kasumi and P-Chan walk into the bathroom then you came in not five minutes later and found me, Kasumi and Ryoga, still naked from changing forms. How dense are you?"

It doesn't feel like all the times before. Ranma isn't just spitting out insults at me. It's worse.

"And just for your information, Ryoga doesn't peep on you. He passes out at the thought of it. He was just using P-Chan to make me look bad in front of you. 'Cause he likes you and we're rivals. Not that he needed to bother, no matter what I do you make it into something bad."

"I never thought I'd see you really try to hurt someone though. Ya know Akane, I always thought you were really nice, ya just had a temper. But it don't matter if ya mean it or not, not if you're gonna go around hitting people like that."

Instead of feeding my temper Ranma's cold words and icy stare shock me out of it. He leaves me stunned and defenseless and I just want the ground to open up and swallow me.

It's a relief when he turns that look on Shampoo and Ukyo. "I've had it with all of ya! Fights are fun and all, but you were trying to kill him!"

Ranma snorts with disgust. "All because Ryoga got it in his head that he loves me for some reason. I guess it's a good thing none of you feel the same. Hate to think what you'd of done to each other by now if ya had."

"Ya know, even with the whole Fiancee/Rival mess, I always thought we were all friends." Now Ranma just sounds sad. "Guess I was wrong."

He shifts Ryoga carefully to one arm and slips Ryoga's umbrella back into the carrying straps on that over-sized pack Ryoga always keeps near-by. Then Ranma hefts the pack over one shoulder and leaps up to the nearest roof-top, bounding away at a rate that none of us could hope to match.

That night, when I get home. Ranma's pack is missing from the guestroom. The house feels empty without him.

Friends, he said, as if that were everything, the only thing. Ryoga would always get depressed when I called him my friend. He always wanted something more, we all did. Except Ranma I guess. The first time I saw Ranma smile was when I offered to be his friend. Friends, all this time that was what he wanted.

What he thought he had, until today. And now he's gone.


	16. Resolution

**Changing View Points**

**Disclaimer: **Premise and characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.

**Chapter Sixteen: Resolution**

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Ooohhh, my head hurts.

"'Bout time you woke up." It's Ranma.

There's a fire going, two tents are set up near by. There are stars visible over-head and trees all around. "You set up camp? Where are we?"

Ranma just shrugs. Like I've got any chance of figuring out where I am.

"I figured we could go on a training trip. You can lead," Ranma suggests.

Being lost with Ranma doesn't sound so bad.

"It doesn't matter where we go as long as it ain't Nerima. I think it'd be good if we both seered clear of there 'til the girls cool off and stop acting like psychos." For a moment Ranma's eyes darken angrily.

And I remember why my head hurts. That and the sight of Shampoo's sword descending on my vulnerable neck. "They tried to kill me," I groan.

"Yeah," Ranma agrees. The idiot grins at me. "I didn't think it could get worse than them trying to marry me." Then he turns serious. "I thought it'd be good if we made ourselves scarce. Someone was gonna get hurt with them acting like that, and with the way you are about fighting girls, it was probably gonna be you. Ryoga, if my curse taught me anything, it's that girls can be just as dangerous as guys."

Heh, Ranma's scolding me.

"Besides, I don't want ta get into that sort of fight with any of the girls either."

Ranma's right. Someone was going to get hurt and I don't want to fight any of the girls. I feel bad enough about what I'm going to do, but I love Ranma. Watching him die, then spending all that time with him while he was recovering, when I was too scare to get mad when he puts his foot in his mouth, made me realize how much I really do care about him.

The girls, they all pretend the curse is just going to go away, or that they can be engaged to his boy-form without being engaged to his girl-form. They're going to hurt him eventually

"If you just forget about the being in love with me thing, we could be friends and the girls would stop being nuts," Ranma suggests hopefully.

"You going to leave if I don't?"

"Can't. Even if you promised on your honor as a Martial Artist to stay away from Nerima while they're bein' mad, you'd go left when ya meant to go right and you'd be walking through the Tendo's front door in no time. Then Akane'd make bacon out of you." Ranma shrugs. "There's just no way around it, I've gotta stay with you until you come to your senses."

I can't help but laugh at him. Ranma's always had the strangest notions of what makes sense. Still, I like his plan. Even if it is ridiculous.

"I still think it'd never have crossed your mind to-to feel like that about me if I didn't turn into a girl."

I can't deny that I'm attracted to his girl-form. I've been taken in by his girl-form too many times, and he knows it... Hmm, that's interesting, it never occurred to me before, but Ranma's always broken up my dates with Akane by making me spend time with him, date him instead. That's... cute.

I may think his girl-form is pretty, honestly the prettiest girl I've ever seen, but that's not what matters. I have to keep reminding him of that until he believes it. "So what, the idea did cross my mind. I thought a lot about it and that's how I really feel. About you, not your girl-form. If I just wanted a pretty girl I would have asked Shampoo to introduce me around her village. I could have found someone who wouldn't mind losing a fight to me."

"Assuming you could have brought yourself to hit a girl." Ranma gives a frustrated little sigh. "What happens if I find a cure?"

I shrug. Ranma's curse would make things less awkward for us, especially when we're dealing with other people. But I know how much he wants a cure. Hell, I want a cure as much if not more. No one tries to eat his cursed form. "If we find a cure we'll deal with how it effects us having a relationship. I'm not going to just stop loving you if you stop turning into a girl."

Ranma scrambles backward holding up his hands in protest and looking panic stricken. "I didn't say nothing about a-a-a-a-"

He did too say it; him getting a cure wouldn't matter unless he's thinking about me that way. I'm not going to tell him that though. He's already acting as scared of me as he acts when any of the girls try being affectionate.

Saying this is fighting dirty, but I want to win. "What if you got stuck in your cursed form?" I know none of the girls have ever thought about what would happen, about what they'd do if Ranma couldn't find a fix for those times when his curse has been locked. The whole subject is taboo.

"That's not funny P-Chan!" He's cute when he sulks too. "Well what if you got locked in _your_ curse form?"

I can feel the blood draining out of my face at the thought.

After a moment Ranma starts looking sickly as well. "I guess you losing your humanity would be worse than me losing my manhood... At least as long as I stay away from my mom," he admits quietly, then offers "No matter what happens, I swear I won't let ya get eaten."

Heh, Ranma can be sweet when he wants to.

This is going to work out, I know it. Ranma protected me. He chose being with me over the girls. If we're going to avoid Nerima until they cool off this training trip is going to last a good long time.

Plenty of time for Ranma to get used to the idea of us as a couple. He will. He likes me, protects me, reacts to me being affectionate as well as he does to any of the fiancees. He's here, with me and none of them.

And most importantly I know the secret. Ranma taught it to me even if he hasn't figured it out for himself yet.

Once Ranma pretended to be my fiancee. There was this strange girl who just showed up out of the blue, but she acted like she knew me. She didn't look at me like I was weird the first time I turned the wrong way at a corner, or the tenth time she had to stop me from getting lost. She knew about the pig and didn't care. It made me so happy, to have someone know me and want me.

It took me a long time and a bad scare but I finally figured out that it wasn't a lie. Well, except for the fiancee part it wasn't. Ranma knows me better than anyone, we've know each other since junior high. He knows about my directional sense and my Jusenkyo curse and it doesn't change how he looks at me. Ranma likes me, it makes him happy to see me.

Ranma liking me feels good, better than Akane liking me. Because Akane liking me depended on her never finding out about P-Chan and on her not realizing I was competing with Ranma for her attention. If she'd realized that she wouldn't have thought I was better than Ranma anymore. Ranma likes me without lies.

And I know Ranma too. I know he's cursed with foot-in-mouth disease to a degree comparable with my ability to get lost in a closet. I know he can't resist a challenge, no matter how ridiculous or ill-considered. I know that in spite of all the posturing, Ranma has a soft heart, he can't see unhappiness without trying to cure it. I know he doesn't just live for the Art, he truly loves it. I know that, in spite of having three fiancees, not mention all the other people who want him, he still gets completely knocked for a loop by honest affection. I know Ranma and I love him. And I know he needs that.

So if I take it slow, and don't scare him too much, he'll eventually figure out that he loves me too. We have plenty of time now.


	17. Epilogue

**Changing View Points**

**Disclaimer: **Premise and characters are the property of Rumiko Takahashi, I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit fun.

**Author's Notes:** This chapter is a bit different, Ryoga's voice in his letter is a lot more formal than his thoughts or speech, but it is a letter and most people get more formal when they're writing as opposed to talking.

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**Epilogue**

A letter arrived at the Tendo Dojo six months after Ranma had left. It was from Ryoga and addressed to all three fiancees.

Akane called Ukyo and Shampoo and they read the letter together.

_I'm sorry,_

_I never set out to hurt you, any of you. I never, ever planned on falling for Ranma._

_He still talks about being honor-bound to marry you, all three of you. And he can only marry one person. Which means he won't marry any of you. Not if it means leaving the other two disgraced._

_He's stopped talking about how it would make things easier if I'd just fall out of love with him lately. You're all going to think I'm being selfish, but I'm glad. Maybe I am being selfish in that. I want him, but I also honestly believe I have the best chance of making him happy. Still Ranma is right, it would make things simpler if I'd said we were just friends the first time Ranma got a clue that I more than liked him. But I would have been lying. And simpler doesn't equal better. _

_The way things were going Ranma was going to get hurt. _

_The last thing Ranma wants is to dishonor any of you. And with his mother and that damned sword of hers around he can't not think about suicide. It would be a simple way of getting out of the mess his father got him into while keeping everyone's honor intact. But it's not something any of us would want._

_Less drastically, Ranma was going to get hurt because his curse isn't just going to go away. Shampoo, you and I both know first hand that our Jusenkyo Curses don't change who we are inside. It's not fair to Ranma to treat him one way when he's a girl and another when he's a boy. And you all do it._

_Because Ranma really is a boy and I know it, I had to deal with that up front. I know how it looks when we're together and he's in his natural form. Just like you know how it looks when he's with you and he gets splashed. I had to decide I was okay with that right off because Ranma wasn't about to let me court him without proof that it was HIM that I liked._

_You're all still expecting that the curse will just go away someday. It won't. As far as I can tell the Kami just don't want him to get uncursed. While we've been traveling we have been looking for a cure. The closer we get to having one in hand the bigger the disaster. You probably saw reports about the volcano that blew it's top in Korea last month? That was us. Don't worry, after that we decided to stop looking, for a while anyway._

_Here's another thing, Ranma would never be happy running a restaurant or even a dojo. Ukyo, if you're honest with yourself you know that's the truth. Akane, you know that as good as Ranma is at the art, he's a lousy instructor. The thing is, the way he was taught would have killed anyone even half as naturally talented as Ranma. And he knows that, he knows he can't teach the way he learned but he doesn't know any other way to learn. Plus he'd much rather be out finding new techniques and getting better himself than being stuck in a dojo teaching other people._

_Ranma grew up on the road, traveling and training is the only life he's ever really gotten used to. Even Nerima was just an unusually long break to him. With my directional curse learning to like being on the road is just self-defense. Ranma and I enjoy drifting from place to place, doing odd-jobs and improving our skills. We're both perfectly happy living out of a knapsack._

_Here's the thing. At least two of you were never going to marry Ranma. All three of you dealt with that by assuming you were going to be the other one. Cut it out. Stop putting it all on Ranma to protect your honor. Figure out some way out of this mess for yourselves. Ranma's rescued each of you a dozen times over. You owe it to him to help him when he can't see a way to get out with honor intact. What chance did he have when each of you is only looking at your own honor and not the whole picture?_

_I'm willing to make you guys a deal about this. If Ranma feels anything other than obligation toward any of you after you've straightened out the fiancee mess then I'll give him up. I'll tell him I could be just friends if that's what he really wants. Which for Ranma translates into 'It would be safe to let Ryoga get within a hundred miles of Nerima.' Basically as long as I say I love him, Ranma won't return to Nerima. He doesn't trust me not to end up back due to my directional sense and because of how the three of you acted he thinks he has to protect me from you. Since he doesn't want to fight you that means keep us far away from you._

_And I'm happy with the way things are. But I won't stand in Ranma's way if he wants to go back to you for some reason beyond feeling obligated to do so. _

_To give fair warning, I should tell you that I hope you take a LONG time to sort things out. Like I said earlier, Ranma isn't asking me to be just friends anymore. The longer you take the less likely he is to care. Still some day, I'd like it if Ranma didn't have the various engagements hanging over his head making him miserable, so I'm willing to offer you something in return for dealing with them._

_Once again I'm sorry for any pain I've caused,_

_Hibiki Ryoga_

_P.S. Akane, I can't say how sorry I am about P-Chan. I know how I acted was unforgivable. I hope you believe that I never meant for it to get so out of hand. I didn't know how to tell you without making you hate me, so I just let it go on and kept getting in deeper. _

_I swear on my honor as a Martial Artist that I never did anything to take advantage of you. Even if you can't trust me anymore, you should trust that Ranma wouldn't have allowed that. _

After reading the letter the three girls looked at each other for a moment. They each found themselves wondering if the only thing Ranma felt for them was an obligation to fulfill the promises that had been made. They each knew that if they didn't take Ryoga up on his offer that, even if they did end up married to Ranma, it would be a hollow victory because they'd spend the rest of their life wondering if he really loved them or if it was just because he felt he had to.

"So," Akane said after a long silence. "Is there a way out?"

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**Author's Note: **This story has been fun, and the end isn't a completely closed one, but it felt like the time to end it. I hope everyone enjoyed and thanks for sticking with it too the end.


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